The Parents' Review

A Monthly Magazine of Home-Training and Culture

Edited by Charlotte Mason.

"Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life."
______________________________________

Notes of Lessons.

by H. E. Wix.Volume 14, 1903, pgs. 790-794

[We have thought that it might be of use to our readers (in their own
families) to publish from month to month during the current year, Notes
of Lessons prepared by students of the House of Education for the
pupils of the Practising School. We should like to say, however, that
such a Lesson is never given as a tour de force, but is always an
illustration or an expansion of some part of the children's regular
studies (in the Parents' Review School), of some passage in one or
other of their school books.—Ed.]

I.

Subject: History.

Groups: History. Class IV. Age: 16. Time: 30 minutes.

By H. E. Wix.

The State of France in 1789.

Objects.

I. To establish relations with the past.

II. To show how closely literature and history are linked together and
how the one influences the other.

III. To try to give G—- and S—- a clearer idea of the social and
political state of France before the Revolution than they have now, and
to draw from them the causes which brought about the Revolution in
France and at this time (1789).

Lesson.

Step I.—Begin by taking the state of France generally. Feudalism was
still in existence without its usefulness and with most of its abuses,
and it led to the great division of Classes—the Privileged and the
Unprivileged. In both Army and Church it was impossible for the
unprivileged to rise by merit; all offices were filled by the
privileged classes. These were exempt from many taxes. Draw from
G—- and S—- the chief taxes—Taille levied on property and the
Gabelle which forced everyone to buy a certain amount of salt from the
Government at an enormous rate.

Step II.—Take the state of France in the country, showing what was the
position of the peasant to his lord. The land he lived on generally
belonged to him; in return for which he had to grind his corn at his
lord's mill, etc., had to give his work free on certain days in the
year, and help to make the roads in his lord's land (corvle). Tell them
something of the Game Laws and the "Intendants."

Step III.—Take the state of France in the towns, showing how
impossible it was for a poor man to set up in a trade, owing to the
guilds and monopolies. Together with men who held some office under
Government, the merchants made a separate class, far removed from both
the peasants and the nobles.

Step IV.—The state of the Church. For the most part the higher
ecclesiastics were hated and despised. This was not the case with the
"cures," for they were of the peasantry, and shared their troubles. But
the higher ecclesiastics were generally younger sons of nobles, who
drew the salaries of their offices and lived a gay life at Court. The
Church also imposed heavy dues.

Step V.—Show that these evils might have been remedied gradually (as
in England) had there been a representative assembly regularly called,
or any true justice. But, as justice could be bought and sold, the poor
man always lost his cause, and the pleadings of the peasants could in
no way make themselves heard. They had risen just before this time, but
unsuccessfully.

Step VI.—Draw from G—- and S—- the reason why the Revolution broke
out in France rather than in any other Continental country. Because,
though the evils in France were no worse than those borne by the German
peasants, the French people had been awakened to the knowledge of their
evils and of their right to liberty by many great writers. Such were
Voltaire, Rousseau, Diderot, d'Alembert and Montesqieu. Draw from
G—- and S—- all I can about these men and their influence on history.

Step VII.—Draw from G—- and S—- why the Revolution broke out just in
1789. Rousseau had written his works since about 1730, and Voltaire
since 1718.

The French had borne their evils under Louis XIV.'s strong government.
Louis XV. was very different. The evils of a despotic government were
clearly shown by him. He it was who said, "Apre nous le deluge!" Then
came Louis XVI., conscientious and full of good intentions. Draw from
G—- and S—- something of Louis' character. But the great opportunity
of the people came in the calling of the States General, in order to
get money.

Step VIII.—A short recapitulation of the principal points.

II.

Subject: Nature Note-book Painting.

Group: Art. Class III. Time: 30 minutes.

By B. M. Dismorr.

Objects.

I. To increase the pupil's power of observation.

II. To give a greater appreciation of beauty.

III. To give practice in the choosing and laying on of colour.

IV. To paint berries.

Lesson.

Step I.—See that the children sit in a good light. Let the children
each choose a specimen and hold it in the position in which they would
like to paint it. Draw their attention to the beauty of the specimen.
Pin each specimen on to a piece of white paper and ask why this is done.

Step II.—Let the children look well at the specimens. Ask them which
is the lightest and darkest part; and let them notice the relative
heights and distances of the various parts. Ask the names of the
colours they will use, and let them mix plenty of each before beginning.

Step III.—Ask the children how they would begin. First, faintly sketch
in the direction of the stalk, indicating the position of the berries
and leaves. Then paint the berries, laying on the colour at once in the
right tone, and leaving the highlight and the shadow to be put on
after the first wash is dry. Then let the leaves and lastly the stalk
be taken in the same way, altering the tone when necessary, but only
putting one wash.

Step IV.—Let the shadows be put in. The shadow will be a darker tone
of the same colour as the object. The shadow becomes lighter as it
approaches the light side or part of the object, and is not bounded by
a hard line.

III.

Group: History. Class II. Age: 8-11. Time: 20-30 minutes.

By C. N. Heath.

The Lake-Dwellers of Switzerland.

Objects.

I. To maintain and increase the children's interest in Switzerland,
which country is included in the school geography for this term.

II. To establish relations with the past.

III. To give the children a living idea of the customs and habits of
the prehistoric people of Switzerland.

Lesson.

Step I.—Tell the children we will talk to-day of the pre-historic
people of Switzerland. The children then to look at the map and see
what they think might happen to the low-lying lakes of that country.
Illustrate by examples of local lakes if necessary.

Step II.—Relate the discovery made by the people of Meilen, in 1853,
on the shores of Lake Zurich. Show a map, indicating the positions of
the discovered dwellings, on the blackboard. Draw from them the
conclusion arrived at by means of the objects found, and the name given
to these settlers. Make the children observe that these dwellings are
only found on the low-lying lake, and draw from them the reason.

Step III.—Describe the position of the dwellings and get from the
children the materials used besides the piles in building the houses.
Show picture of a reconstructed dwelling. Mention various objects
found, and read the following account of a "lake lady's" dress:—A
'lady of the lake' in full dress would seem to have made an imposing
show. An undergarment of fine linen was girded at the waist by a broad
of inlaid or embossed bronze-work. Over the shoulders was thrown a
woollen cloak, fastened with bronze clasps, or pins, whilst neck, arms,
and ankles were decked with a great store of trinkets. The whole was
set off by a diadem of long pins with large heads, beautifully
chiselled, and inlaid with beads of metal or glass, these pins being
stuck through a sort of leathern fillet, which bound up the hair."

Step IV.—Describe the colonies on Lake Pfaffikon with a diagram on the
board to show the three successive settlements, the two lower ones
being well preserved by fire. Also diagrams of pots imbedded in the mud.

Step V.—Mention the plants, grains, seeds fruits, and materials
discovered in the settlements, and draw from the children why the
presence of nephrite hatchets proves that the lake-dwellers had
tradings with the East. Tell how the "pile-builders" were not only
fishers, but hunted, tilled the ground and kept horses and cattle.

Step VI.—Give the possible dates of the three ages of lake-dwellers;
building themselves tombs on land, the first sign of their becoming
land-dwellers. The evidences of their existing till the beginning of
the early historic period. Get from the children the means of arriving
at that conclusion.